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Istanbul (Halkali) to Bucharest in winter
- Thread starter Krokodil
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We went in 2023 before the through couchette had started for the summer and all our connections ( changing at Ruse, Gorna Oryahovita, Dimitrovograd and v.v. ) worked out fine.
We were maybe an hour late into Halkali outbound and a bit early into Dimitrovgrad when heading back to Romania - slightly surprising given the lengthy border procedures between Turkey and Bulgaria ( do not count on getting much sleep either way! )
One thing that might be worth doing westbound is making sure that the staff looking after your coach are aware that you need the connection at Dimitrovgrad. A few people were over-carried towards Plovdiv/Sofia because the other end doors on our couchette car weren't unlocked in time.
We were maybe an hour late into Halkali outbound and a bit early into Dimitrovgrad when heading back to Romania - slightly surprising given the lengthy border procedures between Turkey and Bulgaria ( do not count on getting much sleep either way! )
One thing that might be worth doing westbound is making sure that the staff looking after your coach are aware that you need the connection at Dimitrovgrad. A few people were over-carried towards Plovdiv/Sofia because the other end doors on our couchette car weren't unlocked in time.
I'll be arriving in Istanbul that morning on a red eye flight so I suspect that I'll be dropping off as soon as I'm onboard, and again after reboarding following the border checks.
dutchflyer
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A very recent note on the german DSO forum stated that border entry procedures for Turkey were moved to Edirne-a larger station. But I dont know (assume yes) if this also applies for northbound.
I did the journey both ways in Spring this year.
On the way back from Türkiye, the attendant did look a bit surprised when I asked him to let me off at Dimitrovgrad. I'd bought a ticket to Sofia as I was playing with the idea of going past Dimitrovgrad then returning in order to avoid the long wait at Dimitrovgrad in the middle of the night. But the sleep deprivation was such that I felt I would make a mistake if I tried to do that. So I got off at Dimitrovgrad. Bizarrely the ticket office was staffed by 2 people there through the night. But none of the vending machines took credit cards so - with, I admit, a little trepidation, I ventured out into the night. It's a nice town in the middle of the night, I wondered through a long pedestrian shopping square in a classic style with fountains etc, wondered around a park, etc. One of the highlights of the trip.
The other connections were all fine.
On the way back from Türkiye, the attendant did look a bit surprised when I asked him to let me off at Dimitrovgrad. I'd bought a ticket to Sofia as I was playing with the idea of going past Dimitrovgrad then returning in order to avoid the long wait at Dimitrovgrad in the middle of the night. But the sleep deprivation was such that I felt I would make a mistake if I tried to do that. So I got off at Dimitrovgrad. Bizarrely the ticket office was staffed by 2 people there through the night. But none of the vending machines took credit cards so - with, I admit, a little trepidation, I ventured out into the night. It's a nice town in the middle of the night, I wondered through a long pedestrian shopping square in a classic style with fountains etc, wondered around a park, etc. One of the highlights of the trip.
The other connections were all fine.
So I've booked a berth from Halkali to Dimitrovgrad. However apparently the reservations for the domestic trains to Gorna and Ruse are not available until four days before. Which is not a lot of use unless I can get to a booking office. However on my train from Ruse to Sofia yesterday the guard didn't seem to care about the "compulsory" reservations anyway.
When in Bucharest the booking office clerk didn't want to sell me berths to Budapest, she seemed a bit unhappy about the reliability of the connecting train from Ruse. DB Navigator reckons that I'll have an hour and a half in Bucharest.
When in Bucharest the booking office clerk didn't want to sell me berths to Budapest, she seemed a bit unhappy about the reliability of the connecting train from Ruse. DB Navigator reckons that I'll have an hour and a half in Bucharest.
For some reason she wasn't willing/able to sell a berth on D78 either. It's diverted and leaving early as a result, but that would still gain me an hour slack over NZ472
The trouble is that the CFR booking website is very glitchy so I can't currently book online - and I've never got passholder fares to work on there in the past anyway.
The trouble is that the CFR booking website is very glitchy so I can't currently book online - and I've never got passholder fares to work on there in the past anyway.
I wonder if these are related:
Rail workers accused of using ChatGPT for legal help
: Corruption probe takes detour as staff facing trial reportedly asked AI if seat-blocking scams caused financial damage
www.theregister.com
I've almost made it to Videle and things seem to be going to time (within 5 minutes of, anyway) on this leg so it looks like catching the 18:24 is a possibility.
Stupidly I booked the 19:34 with non-refundable public rate tickets so if I do get the earlier train I will be wasting £50. Should have selected the refundable option. But given that the earlier train has a three hour shorter journey time (and Romanian couchettes aren't the best) it's a sacrifice worth making.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
... ground to a halt at Grădinari as there is bidirectional working around some track renewals. My ATC sleeper stopped there 2.5 weeks ago. Should still have an hour in Bucharest to try and get a berth for the 18:24
Stupidly I booked the 19:34 with non-refundable public rate tickets so if I do get the earlier train I will be wasting £50. Should have selected the refundable option. But given that the earlier train has a three hour shorter journey time (and Romanian couchettes aren't the best) it's a sacrifice worth making.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
... ground to a halt at Grădinari as there is bidirectional working around some track renewals. My ATC sleeper stopped there 2.5 weeks ago. Should still have an hour in Bucharest to try and get a berth for the 18:24
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